Shadows of a Wandering Flame
by Emerald.dragon.rider90
Summary: The journey of a young firebender during the time of Aang, the Last Airbender. As he wanders, he encounters characters you love and those you hate from the series, as well as some new characters and challenges. Please read and review! :
1. Green Fire

**Ch 1**

**Green Fire  
**

A young fire-bender named Jiro strolled cheerfully into a tavern with his usual followers. It was, to his eyes, no different than any other time he had been in there. There were a few patrons seated among the small tables of the common room, drinking and murmuring to each other. The ever-present smell of smoke drifted throughout. As he and his accomplices sat at their usual table and ordered their drinks, he noticed that something, someone in this case, was different. A man sat in the corner, with his back to the wall, at a table by himself. Also odd, this man had the cowl of his hood raised so that the shade from it did not allow onlookers to get a good look at his face. After a few rounds of stories and a few games, Jiro stood up, walked over and sat down next to the stranger. With a smirk first for his friends to see he was not afraid, he turned to the man, and tried to get involved in a staring contest. It was the man who spoke first.

In a voice totally void of emotion, the man said, "You should go back and sit with your friends, lad, before you get into trouble." Jiro didn't budge. "Stubborn lad, aren't you? A fire-bender, no doubt. Ah, you are the lad I threw that flaming sack of turd at this morning, aren't you?"

The man stood up and started walking toward the bar.

A shocked look crossed the boys face as he said, "You did that?!? You impugned my honor, and being a bender, I challenge you to a fire duel!"

This stopped him in his tracks. Jiro began to smile, just as one of his friends started to tell the man that Jiro had not meant what he said, but was interrupted by the man suddenly turning around, his hood coming off, and his finger pointed straight at Jiro.

Bright green eyes and a devilish smile now lined a face nearly five years older than Jiro. "I accept."

Jiro's smile dropped from his face as the red-haired young man walked toward the door to the tavern. "In the arena, in one hour. Be there, or your honor really will be taken from you."

One hour later the dueling arena was set, the red-haired young man and the young bender Jiro stood facing away from each other, at opposite ends of the field. Jiro turned to face his opponent at the word from the overseeing soldier, to find his opponents back still turned to him. Jiro, of course probably thinking it was an opportunity, charged across the field, throwing balls of fire before him. The first fireball got closer and closer until, when it was just a few feet away, the man launched himself into the air high above the flames, and landed just behind Jiro.

Where it appeared at first Jiro had the upper hand, the other fire-benders in the slowly growing audience could see that the younger man's every strike was being easily deflected away by either fire or limb of the older man. What was more, the green-eyed man had not even thrown so much as a punch the entire duel.

After nearly ten minutes of fighting, the man said softly to Jiro, "Do you yield?"

Jiro grunted, and in answer set in on his most furious series of attacks yet. "Very well then, I have no choice."

He caught both of Jiro's fists, fire and all, jumped into the air, and with both feet surrounded by red-hot flame, fire-kicked him across the stadium and into the wall of the stands. The younger man slumped to the ground, unconscious. The red-haired man, shaking his head grimly, began walking toward him to see what the condition of the boy was, but an older man dashed out of the stands and went to Jiro's side.

"He'll live," said the green-eyed man, "I promise you that."

The older man looked up, and with hatred in his eyes said, "I am General Dao of the Fire Army, and you have just injured my son."

With this the man stood. "On my honor, I will see you pay for what you have done. I CHALLENGE YOU!"

The young man turned away from him, with a laugh, starting with a chuckle that seemed to grow with the smoke that was now engulfing the arena. "Wow," he said to no one in particular, "Two duels in one day. How do I get myself into these things?"

The general repeated, slightly softer this time, but with just as much hatred, "I challenge you!"

"That!" the younger man replied, suddenly turning to face his new opponent, "was a mistake."

He turned around once more, and to the astonishment of every one in the arena, _green _fire surrounded his clenched fists. His eyes glowed like twin emerald suns in the din of the battlefield.

"I accept."


	2. Red vs Green

**Ch. 2**

**Red vs. Green  
**

Several things happened at once. The now large crowd gasped, the green fire disappeared from the young man's hands, the arena doors swung open, and royal guards flowed in, in the midst of them none other that Fire Lord Ozai, the ruler of the Fire Nation! He entered his personal box, and then nodded toward the duelists to continue.

"Very well," stated the younger man, "Begin."

And with that he turned and charged, several bright trails of green fire already whizzing across the arena. There were no tricks or delays from the wielder of the green fire this time. The crowd sensed that while the last duel had been more of a sporting event between two young teens, this was a serious matter of life and death for the participants.

Aside from a few murmurings, and collective gasps every so often, the crowd was completely silent. General Dao was obviously much more proficient than his young son, but no matter what he tried his punches were diverted or blocked, his kicks were stopped or avoided, and throughout every attack red was met with green, and turned aside.

The crowd watched in a hushed silence as the general began to tire, and the wielder of the green fire took the upper hand, stepping up his attacks and driving his opponent around and around the arena, gaining more and more momentum, until it was all the general could do to block the next blow. Dao, looking at his son, suddenly seemed to regain strength, and launched one last furious series, so fast the eyes of the crowd had trouble keeping up with it.

The last punch grazed the cheek of the young man, knocking him back and to one knee, but that was all the damage done. The green fire seemed suddenly to blaze brighter than before, and sent the surprised general flying across the dueling field. The young man stood, wiping his mouth free of blood, and lunged with such great force that his lunge carried him completely across the arena, to where Dao now was recovering from last blow.

It started again, this time the general seeming to have the upper hand, until he wound up for a last strength punch. The green-eyed youth leaned back out of the punches path, and, gathering a great flame in both hands, erupted underneath it and into General Dao's unprotected stomach and chest. The old man flew up into the smoke, out of sight, and then back down to the ground face first with a thud. He tried to rise, but then collapsed in a heap. The young man stood, exhausted and breathing heavily, and walked to the place where the general was lying.

"He is defeated, just as his son was. He has too much life left in him, I will not kill him now."

He looked up toward the booth of the Fire Lord. It was silent for a moment, and then a great booming voice echoed across the cavern. "Very well. This duel is finished. I declare all General Dao's lands and titles forfeit to this man..."

With this last astonishing statement delivered, the Fire Lord paused. The crowd of the stadium waited expectantly. "What... is your name, General?" asked the Fire Lord, somewhat hesitantly, as if he was dreading the answer.

The stadium had become quieter than a crypt, even the smallest of movements was not heard in the smoke filled cavern.

"Ky, my Lord," answered the green-eyed man standing at the heart of the clearing smoke.

The crowd started to cheer at this point, but the raised hand of the Fire Lord silenced them immediately. "Of what sect?" the loud, booming voice of the Fire Lord asked.

Answering him, with a tone of quiet command sounding somehow nearly equal to that of the Fire Lord, the flame-haired man answered: "Vagor."

The gentle murmur of the crowd that had commenced shortly after the question was asked halted completely at this word from the man's mouth. All mouths were open in silent astonishment, and all eyes were glued unshakingly to the face of the Fire Lord in his observation booth near the bottom of the stands at the northeast corner of the dueling arena. That emotionless face, although usually very hard, was now set as though it was carved from stone.

"What… sect… are you from?" the Fire Lord inquired once more, quietly and almost hesitatingly.

Now all those faces that had been on him turned to the man now standing in the center of the dueling field, their new general. The answer was the same.

"Vagor."

Everyone in the crowd knew that the Vagor Sect was one of the Fire Lord's largest problems because of their opposition to his war against the nations, and waited to see what their Lord would do about this mysterious stranger with his green fire.

Finally, after what seemed like hours to those in the audience, Fire Lord Ozai stood, and with a voice not quite so booming, but more personal, declared, "Well then, General Ky of the Vagor Sect, welcome to the Army."

With this said, there was a second of pause, followed by a great cheer gathering in the crowd around. It seemed to grow larger and louder as the smoke cleared and it became clearer in the cavern. The new general stood still for a moment, and then, as if making a sudden decision, turned on his heel and strode out of the arena, disappearing into the smoke.


	3. The Princess and The General

Author's Note: This is the last of the short chapters... So get ready for the plot to thicken, characters to be developed, and for you, the reader, to see some of the characters you love (or hate, in some cases) before you actually met them in the series. Also, just to clarify for those who will possibly ask this after reading this chapter. No, this is not an AzulaxOC romance, and will never be. Nor is she even a central character in this story (at least as I see it so far). It is possible that this foreshadows a confrontation in the future, though... Blue vs. Green. That said, enjoy reading, and drop me a review or two to let me know what you think. :)

_-E.d.r90_

P.S.- Special shout-out to Pippin for the title ideas... You're awesome!

* * *

**Ch. 3**

**The Princess and The General**

_What was her father thinking? Appointing such an unknown and potentially dangerous man in Dao's place. It was absurd._

Azula paced back and forth in the long hallway outside her luxurious royal bedchamber. And those eyes… She had been in the arena the previous afternoon, seen the duel. Hiding in the shadows of her father's booth, even there those brilliant green orbs had pierced into her very soul.

Though she would never openly admit it, that young man had, in the few seconds his eyes had pierced the darkness to meet hers, thoroughly and completely frightened her.

There was a small noise behind and to her left. Paranoid as always, the princess whirled, preparing to throw a ball of blue fire and obliterate the fool who would dare try to sneak up on her here.

As usual, there was no one there.

Then she heard it. Outside, from across the rooftops and palisades, came a mournful melody. Some one was playing a long flute at this time of night?

Her curiosity now at its peak, Azula could not help but venturing out into the night, following the almost mesmerizing tune. From her window high in the palace, she could not see the source of the eerie music, nor its orchestrator.

She leapt out of the window and down onto the rooftops far below. Not one of her hairs was out of place. She was her father's daughter in that way. Ever since birth, she had never lost a step, never broken form or lost her footing unexpectedly. She was a prodigy, perfect in every way.

So why was she so unsettled by this man and his green fire?

Leaping gracefully from rooftop to rooftop, Azula finally was close enough to see the flute player, leaning against a chimney not even a block away. She didn't know why, but she decided to wait a few rooftops away from the musician, and allow whomever it was to finish their song before confronting them about disturbing her peace of mind.

As the lilting melody came to a close, the last few notes echoing their way across the rooftops to her hiding place, the flute player suddenly vanished. Worried she'd been discovered, she immediately stood, fire blazing forth from her fists, fearing some sort of ambush.

Anxious minutes passed, but not a sound disturbed the now silent peacefulness of the moonlit night. She turned slowly in a complete circle, her senses attempting to pierce the depths of the dark streets, and thereby deduce the flute player's location.

Nothing.

"You know, it's not nice to sneak up on people in the middle of the night."

Azula flew backward into the chimney so her back wouldn't be exposed, her senses searching desperately for the source of the speech. That voice… She knew she recognized it from somewhere. But she couldn't quite place it.

"Especially when they are doing something as harmless as a little flute playing. A lullaby, if you will." The voice was definitely behind her. And yet, she felt no urge to swing around the chimney and confront the man speaking.

"Sounded more like a dirge," said the princess, her voice absolutely dripping with cold sarcasm.

She let the fire disappear from her fists, though she still stayed ready, her back pressed firmly against the chimney.

From an observer's point of view, this moonlit conversation was probably quite comical. For in all reality, the cloaked musician was leaning on the direct other side of the same chimney the paranoid princess was using for protection. It was as if they were back to back on either side of the same wall, the Princess alert and erect, and The Musician relaxed and comfortable.

It was as if the raven-haired prodigy represented absolutely no threat to the wandering musician.

After a moment long silence, the response came from the other side of the chimney.

"Now that depends on your point of view." A small smile glinted in the moonlight; all that was visible of the tall man's face. "A dirge to us, a lullaby to the dead. At least, that's how I like to see it."

If it was possible, the ice in Azula's voice dropped a couple of degrees. "I could care less about the dead. They are of no further use. And THAT is how I see it."

To punctuate her words, she whipped her body around the chimney, her hands sailing around herself to throw blue fire at the foolish man. However, this was impossible.

The man was no longer there.

* * *

How could such a man have evaded her grasp not once, but twice in the same night? But as her eyes probed the dark streets, searching for any sign of movement that could lead her to the musician, she suddenly froze.

She had heard that voice before, once. In the arena.

Those brilliantly green eyes opened once more in the forefront of her mind, and she knew, as the hairs stood up on the back of her neck, that it had been the new general. And he had been standing, with his back to her, less than a foot away.

It was much later that night before the eyes in her head dimmed and disappeared.

* * *

From a rooftop about a block away, the General watched the Princess frantically searching for him, and smiled to himself. It seemed that this prodigy was not as good as everyone thought she was.

"And she has a terrible case of paranoia." He said to no one in particular, chuckling to himself as he dropped from the rooftop to vanish into the night.

Tomorrow would bring many unexpected things into play, his official recognition as a General of the Fire Army being only one of them. He had to be ready.

He was not quite back to his house yet when, in the early morning light, a bluish beam shot straight up into the sky.

Hundreds of miles to the south, an iceberg had cracked open to the rages of a hormonal young waterbender, she and her brother had found a boy within, and the last airbender had awoken.

The Avatar had returned.


End file.
